Fire alarm systems are often installed within buildings such as commercial, residential, or governmental buildings. Examples of these buildings include offices, hospitals, warehouses, schools, shopping malls, government offices, and casinos. The fire alarm systems typically include fire control panels (or control panels), fire detection devices and fire annunciation devices, which are installed throughout the buildings. Some examples of fire detection devices include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, flame detectors, temperature sensors, and/or pull stations (also known as manual call points). Some examples of fire annunciation devices include speakers, horns, bells, chimes, light emitting diode (LED) reader boards, and/or flashing lights (e.g., strobes). Additionally, some fire alarm systems may also include security devices such as surveillance cameras, access control readers, and door controllers, to list a few examples.
The fire detection devices monitor the buildings for indicators of fire. Upon detection of an indicator of fire, the device is activated and a signal is sent from the activated device to the control panel. The control panel then initiates an alarm condition by activating audio and visible alarms of the fire annunciation devices of the fire alarm system. Additionally, the control panel may also send a signal to a fire department or fire brigade, a central receiving station, local monitoring stations, and/or other building alarm/notification systems (e.g., public address systems).
Typically, building codes, local laws, standards, and/or insurance providers require that the fire detection and fire annunciation devices are periodically tested (e.g., monthly, quarterly, or annually) to verify that the fire detection and fire annunciation devices are physically sound, unaltered, working properly, and located in their assigned locations. This testing of the fire detection and fire annunciation devices is often accomplished with a walkthrough test.
Historically, walkthrough tests were performed by a team of at least two technicians, also known as inspectors. The first technician walked through the building and manually activated each fire detection or fire annunciation device while the second technician remained at the control panel to verify that the control panel received a signal from the activated device and/or that the fire annunciation device properly produced its form of annunciation. The technicians would typically communicate via two-way radios or mobile phones to coordinate the testing of each device. In some cases, the technicians might even have resorted to comparing hand written notes of the tested devices. After a group of fire detection and fire annunciation devices was tested, the technician at the panel reset the control panel while the other technician moved to the next group of fire detection or fire annunciation devices.
Alternatively, the walkthrough test could be carried out by one technician, with the technician having to return to the control panel after testing every (few) detector(s) to see what signals/events had been received.